I Love Lucy
by allcanadiangal
Summary: Lucy is dealing with the loss of her dead fiance, and is getting distant and angry. The only person she can talk to in the household is Robbie, but, he feels that he is falling for her. But Lucy needs a friend, not a boyfriend. What could be the prob?
1. Trading Spaces

Ruthie had a good reason to be concerned.  
  
With her fiery beauty, satiny coffee coloured mane, and liquid brown eyes, she was quite a pretty face. But even though she was just a mere thirteen- year-old, she could sense when her sister was hurting. Anyone could.  
  
Fingering the faded bedspread that adorned her twin bed, Ruthie watched as Lucy turned back and forth in her own bed, murmuring incoherent words. Moonlight filtered through the partly open blinds, flickering across the room in milky-white slivers. A cool breeze filled the slight curtains that hung over the bay window, filling it up like a sail. Ruthie propped her elbow on the bed, watching her sister struggle with sleep. With her halo of honey blonde tresses, and her smooth, china-white face, Lucy could have easily passed as a twenty-year-old angel. Her thick, dark lashes swept across her face in half moons, bringing out her smooth cheekbones and round, full lips. Lucy continued to writhe underneath her tangled sheets, sweat beading her brow. Lucy's stifled words became clearer, and her thrashing more violent.  
  
"Kevin, don't leave me... please... what about all of our dreams together, our hopes for the future... no... come back! Come back! I love you! No!" Lucy was now shrieking at the top of her lungs, her voice desperate and pleading, her delicate fingers latticed together, as if she were begging someone. Suddenly, her rigid body slumped down on her bed, her eyelids fluttering, as her breathing grew slower, and steadier. In minutes, she was breathing evenly, oblivious in her slumber.  
  
Ruthie hugged her knees to her chest, cradling a framed picture to her chest. Lucy smiled back, her cobalt blue eyes bright with laughter, her small arms clasped around her fiancé's waist. Kevin, clad in his standard police uniform, dimpled proudly back, his hazel eyes filled with love for the beautiful creature wrapped around him. Ruthie's skilled fingers quietly slipped the photograph out of the clear plastic case, and noiselessly folded half of the picture back, so that only Lucy's blissful face could be seen. Taking another framed picture off of her nightstand, she blinked back tears. It was of her as a toddler, still having a head full of chocolate coloured curls, grinning into the camera, holding onto her late grandmother's hand. Slipping the folded photograph into the narrow slit, she fingered the framed photo. Now, it was of Lucy, with her face bright, her arms holding nothingness, as if reaching out to some unknown person. And of her, Ruthie Camden, toddling across the front lawn, her hand in midair, as if clasping someone invisible. Both were happy. Both, holding onto someone who wasn't there. Ruthie wiped off a tear droplet from the matting, and placed it carefully on her night table. Turning around in her bed, she watched as the bright full moon, the size of a gold coin, disappeared behind a mist of dark cloud. Ruthie burrowed underneath the security of her covers, and cried. 


	2. Smoothing Out the Creases

Lucy passively stared at her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles swooped out from under her eyes, like a crow spreading its dark feathers. Her eyes, usually an intense pool of dazzling blue, was now the colour of a washed out sky: slate grey. Her skin, usually a delicate pink that turned ruby red when she blushed hotly, was now permanently painted the colour of a discoloured dishrag. Her hair, bouncy and full, and brushed until it shone, was now rough and tangled, and as flimsy as a pot of cooked spaghetti. She had also laid off from colouring her hair, so now; instead of her hair being its usually strawberry blonde colour, it was a mix of dirty blonde and dishwater brown.  
  
She carelessly flung her hand out, sending the oval-shaped mirror skittering across the polished oak table and crashing to the tiled floor. If it had been one month earlier, she would have leapt up from her padded chair and fallen to the ground laughing, cracking a joke about how she was so ugly that the mirror slipped away. Then Kevin would have rushed in and swept her up in his arms and kissed her on the nose and tell her she was beautiful, and that he loved her. But it wasn't one month earlier, and Kevin wasn't there, and Lucy wasn't laughing, and nobody was kissing her on the nose and telling her she was beautiful.  
  
"Maybe that's why Kevin left," Lucy reasoned with herself, picking up the pale purple dustpan and crouching down to sweep up the silvery shards. "Maybe I was too ugly, and he just left because he didn't want to see my face anymore." Lucy dumped the remains into a nearby plastic wastebasket. But Lucy knew it wasn't true. He left because he loved her, and Lucy let him go because she loved him. Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, Lucy sat cross-legged on her twin bed, smoothing out the lumps in her bedspread. Leaning back against the headboard, Lucy's eyes roamed around the small room, and fell upon her night table. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she picked up the single framed photograph that was positioned over her digital alarm clock. She had remembered there being two frames sitting on the table, but now, only one stood, and laying beside it an empty plastic case.  
  
Lucy swallowed hard. She remembered that photo. She was sitting on Kevin's lap, mouth open in a wide smile, revealing her perfectly straight teeth and impossibly deep dimples. Her vivid sea blue eyes reflected love, and hope for the future. Lucy's forehead wrinkled, as she turned the frame over in her hands. Where was Kevin? Someone had folded the picture back, and slipped it behind another photograph. Ruthie grinned back at her, cheeks the colour of wild roses, and chocolate fudge brown eyes sparkling. She had spilled grape Gatorade over her summer dress, but was frolicking happily, despite being soaking wet. As Lucy turned the picture in her hands once more, a small strip of blue paper slipped out.  
  
Curious, Lucy unfolded the slip, and shakily read the words aloud. "There's always room for love, in the places you least expect it." Lucy remembered slipping the fragment of paper into the frame after going to a Chinese restaurant with Kevin. She had gotten that message in a fortune cookie, and had just brushed it aside, slipping it into the case, forgetting that she had even slid it in there. Delicately taking out the photograph, Lucy smoothed out the crease marks and stared at it for a moment. Kevin really did love her, and she really did love him. But there was nothing she could do about it, now that he was buried underneath the ground in a wooden box. But nonetheless, Lucy slipped the photograph into the second case lying by, and stared at it with satisfaction. Putting the two photos side by side, she slipped the piece of paper in between the two frames.  
  
"There's always room for love, in the places you least expect it." Lucy whispered under her breath. "Uh, Luce? Am I interrupting anything?" Lucy whipped around, to face Robbie, who had an expression of pure concern, but the goofy grin pasted on his face showed how much he really enjoyed catching Lucy talk to herself.  
  
Throwing a stuffed bear in Robbie's direction, Lucy innocently stared at the bedspread with wide eyes. "What was that for?" Robbie pouted, with his best impression of a puppy-dog look. "What was what for?" Lucy feigned mock ignorance. Chucking her pillow in his direction as well, she dived off her bed and sprinted out the door, leaving Robbie trailing after her. "That," she panted, short of breath, "was for smiling." Robbie finally caught up with her and pinned her to the ground, stuffing the pillow over her mouth to muffle her fake screams for help. And for the first time in a month, Lucy's laughter filled the corridor.  
  
Back in Lucy's room, a whisper of an echo sounded, "There's always room for love, and in the places you least expect it." And then, all was silent, except for the laughter bouncing off the walls, and melting everyone's hearts. 


	3. Cleaning up the Corners

A/N: Sorry for being so far behind in updating, and thank you, thank you, thank you, for all of your great reviews. I love you all, and I hope you like this chap.  
  
Lucy carefully guided the blunt knife down the ridge of cardboard, cautious not to cut herself. Robbie looked up at her with concerned eyes, yanking his fingers through his dark hair. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Was all he asked, eyeing all the other similarly marked cardboard boxes that she had flattened and stacked away. Scrawled on the side with thick black marker were the words: Kevin Kinkirk. And that was all.  
  
Lucy looked up. Though her face held no emotion, tears were filling up her eyes, and her smooth fingers were slightly trembling. "I've got to," she said with conviction. "For Kevin. For me." Reaching inside the opened box, she pulled out a crisp black police uniform. Brass medals hung from the breast pocket, and coloured pendants dangled from the belt carelessly strung around the black pants. Robbie carefully looked at her again. Lucy bit her lip so hard that she tasted the saltiness of blood on her tongue. Her face giving away nothing, she gently placed the uniform along with the other belongings he had brought with him when he had come to the garage apartment.  
  
But Robbie knew something was wrong. Those eyes, they could tell him anything. They were so deep, and seemed to go on for eternity. Usually a sparkling cobalt blue, they now had faded to a stormy gray. He could see the emotions churning in there, and if Lucy had been an urn of cream, she would have long turned to butter.  
  
"You can stop if you want, Luce," he murmured, crouching down and taking her small hands in his. It hurt him to see his best friend crying like this. Only moments ago, they had been laughing at teasingly wrestling each other on the strip of carpet in front of her room. That seemed like ages ago.  
  
But beyond those tears, Lucy's face was set with determination. "I don't start something until I intend to finish it. I'm doing this for a reason, Robbie. I'm not just the silly schoolgirl you dated back in college. I've grown up. And I know what I need to do, and this is what I need to do." Even as she said this, her voice quivered, and the dam of tears hidden behind her eyelids was threatening to leak out.  
  
"You were never a silly schoolgirl, Luce. You were always so stubborn, and you still are. So I guess nothing I can say will change what you've got running in that little mind of yours." Robbie forced a smile, but couldn't find himself meaning it. How could he be smiling when his best friend in the world was feeling so upset?  
  
Lucy said nothing. She sighed as she looked again at the rows of boxes still waiting to be opened. She couldn't help but feel as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest and being trampled on, each time she picked something out of the box and tossed it to the growing pile next to the stairs. But Lucy needed to let Kevin go. No matter that they had shared a love that she had never experienced before, it was just that going through the pain again and again was making her want to be sick.  
  
"Robbie," her voice wavered, and she barely spoke over a whisper, "Have you ever loved anyone so much that it hurt?"  
  
Robbie felt his heart beating faster as he looked into those gray, gray eyes. His eyes fell on her small nose, sensitive mouth, and the stroke of her high cheekbones. Trailing back up to her eyes, he answered, "Yes Luce. I have."  
  
That was all she needed to hear. Tears suddenly flowed out from her eyes, like a faucet being turned. Leaning against his muscular chest, she let the blunted knife clatter to the floor with a dull echo. Sobbing into his sweater, Lucy buried her face into her hands.  
  
"Lucy, what's wrong?" Robbie's concerned look turned to one of distress as he saw the sobbing girl in front of him. He didn't know what to do with a crying girl, so he hesitantly rubbed his hand on her back and murmured incoherent words, trying to keep calm, as the girl agonizingly wept in front of him. He couldn't help but wonder at the feeling that had surged through his body when he had looked at her eyes a few moments before. It was obvious she was talking about Kevin, but Robbie wasn't so sure who he was referring to when he answered the question. It wasn't Cheryl, or Joy, or Mary... maybe he did know, but he just didn't want to believe it. All Lucy had been to him was a friend, one who was always there for him when he needed her, giving him hugs when even he didn't realize he needed it, not walking out on him when he had even showed her the door. She had been his best friend ever since he had set foot into this house. And Robbie would just have to bury his feelings and be the friend that Lucy definitely deserved.  
  
The stairs creaked, as Simon Camden slowly inched up the stairway, clutching onto the wrought iron rail. His heart dropped to his toes when he saw his sister, no, his best friend crumpled to the ground, weeping her heart out. Beside her, Robbie was awkwardly stroking her silky hair, and staring out into space, although his eyes twitched with anguish each time Lucy called out Kevin's name.  
  
Grasping the handrail so hard that he was sure it was going to break off, Simon felt his own tears burning in his throat. It hurt him to see his closest friend crying out in pain like that. Swallowing back his tears, he carefully stepped down the stairs, careful not to alert the crying girl, or the boy next to her who was obviously in love. 


	4. Contemplation

Tall and handsome, with an undeniable boyish charm and breath-taking smile, Robbie had few things he hadn't mastered. Especially when it came to women.  
  
But this person wasn't like all the others. This girl wasn't someone you carefully file away into the back of your mind with all the other good times you've had, and promptly forget her.  
  
She was different.  
  
There was one time, long ago, when she was more than a friend to him. Correction. There was never a time he felt that she was a friend. Always something more, never anything less. Even when he was dating her sister, he felt himself drawn to the cute, innocent girl who always wanted to fit in and be everyone's best friend. He wanted her to be with him because she was innocent, pure. Something Robbie could never be.  
  
But Robbie didn't want her to be his best friend. He wanted to be her best boyfriend. The sweetest, the kindest, the most perfect. But that he couldn't be.  
  
And Lucy had forgiven him. A hundred times. Maybe more.  
  
But although the words had rolled from her tongue, off her lips and into the air, bright and clear, there was that look in her eyes. Of hurt. Of confusion. And always a hint of tears.  
  
That look made Robbie tremble inside, and made him want to plead with her, make her understand. And she said that she did.  
  
But she didn't.  
  
And that seemed fine with her.  
  
When Robbie sat alone at night, staring out the window to the star-studded sky, he'd feel a burning inside, deep inside his heart. And the bitter coldness of emptiness. Lucy Camden could satisfy both, by just a smile, a laugh, a hug. But only for a moment. Then all was the same, a lovesick little schoolboy staring into the clouds, hoping someday, somehow, the girl of his dreams would come running into his arms. And his arms were always wide open.  
  
But somehow, someway, Lucy's eyes were always focused on other men. Ones who made her cry, made her hurt. And somehow, they didn't see the beautiful person inside of her, and made a living out of seeing her hurt. Robbie thought those people were stupid and selfless. Lucy loved them.  
  
But Kevin, Kevin was different. He actually loved Lucy for who she was. And that made Robbie jealous. He loved jeering at each of Lucy's boyfriends, claiming that he was 100 times better than them, and he could love her more, give her more, and be more to her. But then Kevin came along.  
  
And everything shattered.  
  
He could no longer say he was better.  
  
Because he was, in all truths, not.  
  
He could not say that he loved her more.  
  
Because he didn't.  
  
He couldn't say that Kevin was another cruel, selfless creature.  
  
For he was not.  
  
Lucy had finally found the perfect boy, the man of her dreams.  
  
And it wasn't Robbie. Not be a long shot.  
  
And Robbie was jealous. Truly and wholly jealous.  
  
And then the boy of her dreams died.  
  
And for some reason, Robbie wasn't jumping up and down.  
  
Imagine that. 


	5. Trimming up the Sides

"The squirrel only drank the motor oil because it looked like normal, everyday orange juice," Lucy retorted, pushing the "Eject" button on the VCR.  
  
Robbie licked his parched lips as he watched the hem of Lucy's tank top hitched up, revealing a silky smooth back. "I disagree. Mr. Squirrel tried to commit suicide. Did you see that evil glint in his eyes when he tipped over the container? He was an obvious criminal," Robbie shot back, flipping through the channels.  
  
"What? How dare you accuse him of suicide! That was just the camera lights reflecting in his eyes! I can't believe that you think that such an innocent little furry rodent is capable of such cruel heartless actions," Lucy replied, arms flailing in the air, her eyes bright with enthusiasm.  
  
"Okay, okay. If clearing Mr. Squirrel's name means that much to you, I'll drop it. But even the little stubborn girl that you are, you have to admit that motor oil looks nothing whatsoever like freshly squeezed Tropicana orange juice. And what kind of squirrelly nut would drink orange juice? Mr. Squirrel, that's who. And I think liking orange pulp is a crime in itself," Robbie finished, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Whatever, Robbie. You're just pouting because Happy finished the rest of the slice of pizza that you dropped onto the kitchen floor. Knowing you, you'd probably lap up the cheese and pepperoni right next to Happy from the floor," Lucy teased, placing the videocassette into the case.  
  
"Hitting me right where it hurts," Robbie mocked, placing a hand to his heart. "My stomach. How dare you make fun of my abdomen? I think it's quite beautiful, thank you very much..."  
  
"I've never seen you get so worked up about your stomach before," Lucy collapsed on the sofa next to Robbie, delving into a half-full bowl of buttered popcorn.  
  
Robbie felt his breath hitch up in his throat when he felt Lucy's breast brush up against in neck as she reached over him to grab the saltshaker.  
  
Lucy turned to Robbie, eyes serious, pink-glossed mouth turned down to a pout. "You know when we were going out?" Lucy asked, eyes wide and cobalt blue, bluer than a mountain stream. Like Robbie could ever forget. He simply nodded, watching as Lucy's breasts rose up and down to the tempo of her breathing. "Well, you know when you told me that you thought I was beautiful? Did you really, truly think that I was beautiful?" Lucy's voice went down to a whisper, and Robbie had to strain forward to hear. When Lucy looked into Robbie's dark, expressive eyes, her heartbeat quickened. They were so soft, and so searching. Almost like he was afraid to answer.  
  
Robbie slowly moved towards her, almost in slow moition. Cupping her chin in his hand, he watched as her eyes grew rounder and bluer as the realization hit her, on what her best friend was about to do. Robbie slowly dipped his head down, his lips brushing against hers at first, and then tilted her head up further so that he could kiss her fully. Her lips were so soft as smooth under his, and they tasted so sweet, like honey. Sucking and gently nipping on her lower lip, Robbie slid his tongue into Lucy's mouth. Memorizing each curve and ridge, a sudden rush of memories flooded back to him. As Lucy adjusted her position, her breast brushed against his arm, bringing small jolts of electricity up and down his arm, and the familiar twitching in his groin whenever Lucy was close.  
  
Ding-dong!  
  
Flustered, Lucy broke away from Robbie, fingers smoothing out her tousled blonde hair, lips red from their kisses, and cheeks pink from their touching. Stumbling to the door, Lucy wrenched it open and almost fell back. Mary stood there, her chocolate brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail, clad in a cropped red sweater and jeans. "Hey, Luce. Is Robbie there?"  
  
At the mere mention of his name, Lucy's cheeks turned the colour of raspberries. "Can I ask why?" she stuttered, clutching at the doorframe to support herself. The feel of Robbie's lips on hers, the feel of his arms tangled in her hair, it was too much. "Sure. I have a plan to get him to fall in love with me again. And Lucy, I need your help." 


	6. Wiping Up the Mess

Lucy twirled the spaghetti around her fork, biting her lower lip as she scraped the edge of the cutlery against the crusted sauce, which caked the bottom of the plate. Her fork absently carved a crude outline of a heart. Lucy sighed, and took a bite of the pasta. She knew that she was still deeply in love with Kevin, and no one could convince her otherwise. His deep hazel eyes, which sparkled when he laughed, his dimpled smile, his smooth lips, his velvety hair. They way he held her close, so possessively, so caring. The way his warm breath felt against the nape of her neck as he whispered her secrets. They way it felt for his fingers to stroke her hair, the way it felt for his lips to caress hers, searching, finding, knowing.  
  
They way his eyes melted when they looked into hers, the way his nose crinkled when he became serious, the way he gently touched the small of her back when they were slow dancing. That was love. She was drowning in him, not even attempting to swim away. His waves would douse her sun-bathed skin, as she lazily floated on the swells of water, taking for granted what she defined as her life.  
  
But that didn't change the way she felt when Robbie's lips brushed against hers, when his hands clasped her waist, when he nipped at her lower lip, when his fingers tangled in her sun-kissed tresses. Her heart rate sped up, like a Nascar driver as he zooms down the racetrack. Her finger shook, and her knees buckled, and she felt like she was going to melt into a puddle of nothingness. The way his dark, mysterious eyes looked into hers, so deep, so loving. The way she felt captive to his gaze, the way she wanted to run into his arms and feel him cradling her.  
  
Lucy shook her head, clearing her head from any sinful thoughts that might have crept into her heart. She was going to be a minister. She loved her husband, no matter that he was boxed up in a polished coffin, like some sort of packaged good. No matter that the man who she had called 'best friend' for so long was capturing her heart. No matter that she felt that she was falling, for the one person she couldn't fall for. Lucy curled her fingers around her fork, and numbly crossed out the heart scrawled on the tomato sauce, and sighed as she watched her sister flirt with the one man she felt she could never live without.  
  
Mary giggled, smoothing out her silken tresses as she took a sip of diet cola. "So, Robbie, do you want go out for a movie or something later tonight? We could double date with Lucy if she's up to it," Mary suggested, clearing her dishes from the dining table. Robbie turned his gaze to the reserved blonde seated across from him. She was tracing the edge of her fork against her half-empty plate, eyes sparkling with tears, blue as a mountain stream, red lips pruned together, perfectly shaped eyebrows knit tightly together. "Um, I don't now if I am, Mary... everything's going by so fast, and I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now," she faltered at the pleading look her sister was giving her. "Please?" she pouted, curling down her lower lip and batting her mascara-coated eyelashes.  
  
"Who's going to be my date, though?" Lucy felt herself weakening, and couldn't bring herself to look into Robbie's eyes. If she pushed him away, her sister would be happy, Robbie would soon realize that he still has feelings for Mary, and everyone would live happily ever after. Except for her.  
  
"I'm sure we can work something out," Mary squealed, pastel blue eyes shining with enthusiasm. "It'll be so great, Luce. You can meet some new guys, and heaven knows you haven't been having your fair share of smoochies. Tonight will change all that," Mary assured her, pulling her hair back into a hasty ponytail. Lucy smiled half-heartedly, and continued to swirl her spaghetti around, dreaming of handsome police men, rebellious bad boys, and the feeling that for some reason, tonight would be a little awkward. 


	7. The Circle of Life

Lucy wound a soft, fluffy towel around her damp, freshly-showered hair as she cautiously stepped onto the cool tile floor. Glistening water droplets quietly pattered onto the pattered tiles as she surveyed her reflection in the wide mirror that graced the bathroom wall. Her brilliant blue eyes wandered along the expanse of her body: the gentle curves of her breasts, to the dips of her waist and the smooth flow of her sun-kissed legs. Her flat, toned stomach, the nestle of honey blonde curls at the apex of her thighs, her dimpled knees, the arch of her bottom.  
  
Lucy knew that once she could have been called lovely, even beautiful. She always kept clusters of hormone-driven boys at arms length, and every time she sashayed into a room, a handful of hungry eyes followed her. She could have had any boy she wanted. any man she wanted.  
  
But when Kevin Kinkirk, with his soul-melting caramel eyes and his heart-warming smile walked into her life, Lucy felt something she hadn't before. Lucy Camden fell head over heels in love... perhaps too far.  
  
With trembling fingers, Lucy outlined her sapphire eyes with black eyeliner. It had been so long since she had taken the time to care for herself... too long. Her untrained fingers quivered, and her thick black lines came out uneven and rough. Her smooth forehead furrowed in concentration as she leaned against the cold Formica countertop.  
  
Kevin was always so predictable, so steady and rhythmic like a heartbeat. She always knew what to expect from him; he was familiar, comfortable. That was why she had fallen in love with him at first. He was easygoing and even-tempered... he was the one thing in her life that was constant. He didn't surprise or astonish her, and that made her pleased. She had to deal with enough drama in her life already.  
  
---FLASHBACK---  
  
The moon was bright, like a polished gold coin against the stark blackness of the velvety night. The shimmering stars twinkled in the sky like glittering beads on a dark evening dress. The night was silent, except for the occasional scamper of animals' feet across the soft ground, and the creak of the loveseat swing as it swayed back and forth in the gentle breeze.  
  
"I've been thinking," Kevin murmured into Lucy's wind-tossed blonde hair as they rocked together. "Kudos to the Police-Man... he can think..." Lucy giggled softly, rubbing her cheek against his rough leather coat, breathing in his sweet, musky scent.  
  
Kevin batted her arm playfully, growling softly underneath his breath. "Just for that, no goodnight smoochies for you..." he threatened, a mock frown spreading across his face. Lucy pouted, her lower lip jutting out like a child's, batting her lacy brown lashes. Kevin eyed her lips with hungry desire. "Maybe we can make... an exception... just this once..." he compromised, tipping her chin up with a gentle finger. Slowly, their lips met perfectly in the middle, like they always did. Lucy waited for the fireworks to start in her heart, for an icy tingle to shoot up her spine, for her knees to melt into jelly, for her heart to bloom like a flower. It never came.  
  
Kevin groaned softly and deepened the kiss, his tongue lightly tracing the seam of her lips, then slowly easing itself inside. Lucy's forehead scrunched with confusion as she searched for that shiver, that tremble, that leap within her heartbeat. That explosion of lights and colour and sound within her soul. Nothing. There was nothing.  
  
Startled, dazed, and somewhat perplexed, Lucy pulled away. Kevin was panting hard, his lips swollen, his dark blonde hair ruffled, his eyes half- closed in contentment. Lucy waited for her heartbeat to gallop and match in time with his. Her teeth clenched in frustration as she looked deep within herself, she searched for that tremor, that quake. There was something missing. Something was wrong.  
  
---END FLASHBACK---  
  
Lucy gasped at her reflection in the mirror. She had taken the eye pencil and outlined her eyes again and again in a thick black circle. She looked awful. Wrenching the handle of the tap open, icy water gushed out of the faucet, splattering against the counter and mirror. She scrubbed at the dark makeup with her black-stained hands, furiously trying to rub out the mess she had made. The murky grey of the makeup swirled in with the clear water, streaming down into the drain. Twisting the handle shut, Lucy breathed in deep and gazed at her reflection. Angry, dark grey streaks crisscrossed her pale, ghostly white face, making her pale eyes seem larger, fuller, haunted.  
  
Lucy knew she was still in love... but not with the man she had hoped. 


End file.
